Hymenaios, or the Marriage of the God of Marriage - 5. Part V. Love, the Light of the World

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Part V. Love, the Light of the World

 

Itself too road-weary, the twilight sun

Rimmed the edges of the horizon gold,

But the deepening indigo of East

Inched overhead and allowed velvet drops

Of starlight to tuft their way through the gloom.

Kathros and Hymena, a cozy pair,

Indulged in their newfound intimacy

And led the way before their companions

Who griped vocally about conditions.

“Who knew,” one asked, “the route would be so rough?”

“Yes,” affirmed another, “my sandals slip

And slide beneath my feet with every step.”

Kathros and Hymena exchanged quick nods,

Each daring the other to laugh out loud.

They held themselves back and, fortunate too,

For the third girl behind them then spoke up.

“Complain, complain, complain: that’s all you do.

But look! Soon it will be dark, and before

The Dog Star has a chance to bark at us,

We’ll be safely ensconced within the Inn

Upon Artemis’ temple precinct.”

“Then good,” replied the initial missy,

“Because more than my feet hurting, I’m starved.”

“At the holy inn, we’ll find warming baths,

Hot-oil rubdowns by the priestesses too –

Followed by a meal with which we’ll have wine.”

“Not wine!” exclaimed the second young lady.

“Certainly wine, with our dessert table,

For by and by, you must sure remember

We’re no longer girls, but full-fledged women.”

“Sounds good,” said the original speaker,

“But our leader should hurry: It’s soon dark!”

While the three behind them kept chatting,

Hymena leaned close to her companion –

Her tone low and requesting confidence.

“Do you not feel like complaining as well?

The trail has not been nice to us today.”

“True,” said Kathros, “but growth’s not easy, right…?”

All that’s worthwhile in life must take effort.”

“I could not agree more,” chimed Hymena.

Kathros added, “I tend not to believe

In laws of man which stress duality –

That black must be the opposite of white;

That heat is the enemy of the cold;

That male is male, and female is female.”

Astounded, Hymena let loose a smile.

“Your mind is so supple, my dear Kathros,

You should attend Academy lectures.”

The girl then laughed sadly. “You speak as if

I or any young woman can intrude

On the philosophy chats hosted by men.”

Color rose upon Hymena’s visage.

“Oh, yes. I forgot; we aren’t welcomed there.”

Such a comment had Kathros glancing deep

Within her companion’s demurring pupils,

But to Hymena’s relief, said nothing.

By way of distraction, Hymena said –

Pointing up to a particular star

Rising hard above the eastern hillsides –

“As if almost on cue, see that light come?

It’s the blue-white star from the Virgin’s folds:

The Ceres, or Spica sapphire of light.”

“Yes, and so it is. One of heaven’s gems.”

“My mother always told me it’s special,

And known to astrologers as two stars

Circling close in a binary orbit,

Showing us one face some days, and the next

Another side to its in-born beauty.”

“How fascinating, and how lovely too.”

“Yes, because of its nature, some say

Wingèd Hermaphroditos is she who

Guides the fair star in her path through Virgo.”

Kathros gazed and said with admiration,

“Two but one still; united by difference,

Yet always true to who she’s meant to be.

I envy her freedom and truth-telling.

For everyday lives, it’s not so simple.”

“Why do you say that, my lovely Kathros?”

“Think of it, Hymena; think how we are –

Held hostage to Man’s conception of us.

Both his physical control and his mind

Makes of us unary prisoners to him;

Choice goddesses or whores; mothers or sluts;

Good or bad as if black or white opposed

The other, and did not complement it,

When the truth is, everything slips and slides,

Especially the fickle moods of Man!”

Nodding, Hymena could only agree.

“In fact,” stated Kathros, “if I could be

Like one person in history, I’d choose

The founder of Holy Athens herself.”

“Like Tiresias? Striking love-bound snakes

And then gender-changed from man to woman?”

“Yes, dearest Hymena. That’s who I mean,

Because, imagine she of all mortals

Was more than wife and mother; more than stuck

Within a fixed body, for she was all.

She got to see just what the company

Of both male and female are truly like,

Privately, amid their ranks as equal.”

Hymena blushed from forehead down to toes.

Kathros took note and chuckled openly.

“How lovely,” she said, “is your modesty.

Your shy coloring reminds of a quote

Thymocles is recorded as saying:

 

You remember, I trust –

You of all people remember

When I recited this holy verse

To you: "Beauty is fairest,

and beauty is nimblest."

 

Not the reddest bird

in the sky shall outstrip

beauty. Look, now,

how all your blossoms

are shed to the earth.”[1]

 

Hymena blushed yet deeper, but replied,

“I could not agree more, my kempt Kathros!”

Meanwhile, the party of marching women

Together pooled at one spot on the road;

Their leader and guide had gathered them there.

“Now, girls,” she then announced, “here are tapers,

As we’ve yet another half-hour to trek.

One will be lit, and then step you forward

To ignite your own most precious flambeau.”

So said, a spark was struck, and the first light

Illuminated the leader’s visage.

As others came to get and strike torches,

Points of light slowly encircled the group,

Because the girls – kissed by the leader’s flame –

Took positions ‘round the perimeter

While others waited in line for their chance.

Hymena and Kathros seemed to be last,

But neither minded their time spent alone.

Hymena twinkled as she told her mate,

“Before you quoted about modesty;

But here, let me cite one Meleager,

A heart-sick bard who worships my brother:

 

The Boy God of Love is the world’s best source

To enlighten our days, and lead our ways.”

 

Thus it became Kathros’ turn at flushing.

Though the eyes of every girl watched their guide,

Hymena’s could only see her Kathros,

Whose smile made the rest of the world her prop.

Finally – their chance to come to get some light –

Hymena reached out and took both tapers.

Holding them wedged together, she got

One spark to ignite both of their flambeaux.

Kathros reached to take hers, but Hymena

Then asked, “May I hold this light for us both?”

Kathros puzzled. “I’m more than capable—”

“I know you are, but can’t you see, dear girl,

As surely as the stars rotate at night,

In life I’ll always carry a torch for you.”

Before Kathros could speak, growling sounded

From the darkness outside the girls’ circle….

Flick’ring shadows revealed approaching forms.

The group now grew smaller; steps taken back

Tried to ensure safety within numbers,

But screams arose, because upright black bears

Mewed loudly and lunged for the young women.

Tapers dropped as some were grabbed and detained.

Wild thoughts in Hymena’s head wondered if

This was part of the initiation –

Ursa being sacred to Artemis –

But such dreams ceased the moment their leader

Was nabbed and gagged by another two bears.

One held the struggling woman from behind –

Her taper burning helpless on the road –

While the other laughed and used his paws to

Lower the grizzled bear mask from his head.

No servants of the Goddess were these brutes,

But Hymena saw they were beastly men:

Uncouth; unclean of both minds and actions.

This unmasked one proved to be their top dog,

For the marauder whistled sharply then,

Drawing all attention to his shouting.

“Make it easy on yourselves, princesses –

You spoiled daughters of the rich and powerful –

For you’re our captives now, till your daddies

Cough up the gold to have you safely back.”

The still-masked goons pointed noses upwards

And howled like hyenas giddy at blood.

Four of them, plus the leadman, gathered close,

Rustling the frightened young women like sheep.

“Come ‘long, you little cubs of Artemis,

We have a secure cave to hole up in

While the ransom demands are carried out.”

Treading o’er the road once more, Hymena

Considered options, but for now played dumb;

Patience would expose the kidnappers’ faults,

And through such fractures, a plan could be made.

Coolness was called for, so she’d bide her time,

But Kathros stayed her chief priority.

 

Although an increased heartrate called her to action,

The strap ‘round her thigh gave pausing satisfaction.

 

 

 

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[1] Thymocles’ poem: Greek Anthology 12.32, translation after Paton

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